Seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to find out if there was anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs.
Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, he went up to it and found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again! ’ At once the fig tree withered.
For the vineyard of the Lord of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant he delighted in. He expected justice but saw injustice; he expected righteousness but heard cries of despair.
Then watch: If it goes up the road to its homeland towards Beth-shemesh, it is the Lord who has made this terrible trouble for us. However, if it doesn’t, we will know that it was not his hand that punished us #– #it was only something that happened to us by chance.’
So Ruth left and entered the field to gather corn behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.
He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even dug out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes.